Where on one hand, Haryana is busy putting cows to safety via the implementation of new policies, Kerala has surprised us with changes that are not only revolutionizing our country’s legislature, but also helping in uplifting the stigma that exists in our cultural and social spaces against the LGBTQ.
It was only last year, when Kerala became the first state in our country to implement a Transgender policy that included men, women and intersex people. What followed were numerous amounts of changes in welfare that gave transgender people equal access to social and economic opportunities, resources and services, and basic constitutional rights. Not only that, but it was also just last month, when the state government decided to grant pensions to transgender people above the age of sixty.
There have been very less instances, where the implementation of policy has channelled immediate social change--case in point, Vanitha magazine’s latest issue. The Malayali magazine, which is known for publishing content on women’s lifestyle, has become the first ever to have a transgender woman on it.
A representative at Vanitha magazine explains to Homegrown, “Transgender women in particular face a lot of social trauma. We treat them as if they all are sex workers, but also deserve basic rights, like everyone else. The society definitely needs to discuss more about this third gender. That is why our magazine decided to increase their visibility, by having a transwoman on the cover.”
The cover features Deepti, who was born as Shinoj, to acknowledge the visibility of the marginalised third gender. She was discovered by the magazine’s photographer, Harikrishnan, who featured her in a photo story that projected India’s Transgender community. Although, she is not just a cover girl, but the magazine has a full-page spread interview with her as she narrates stories that shed light on all the high and low ends of being queer in a country like India.
With a person like Deepti finally getting a platform to voice herself, we are delighted to see how Kerala’s Transgender policy has constantly been delivering unimaginable changes in a country like ours. As the state proceeds to become a more liberal and accepting state, we hope other states follow suit and implement such direct policy action, that bring about changes for the greater good.
Feature image courtesy of Vanitha Magazine